On this day in history in 1918, congress passed The Sedition Act. It was designed to beat down opposition to the United states' involvement in World War I. This nifty piece of legislation made it illegal for pacifists, anti-war protesters, or any other scum-of-the-earth types to engage in the following: "making false statements that interfered with the prosecution of the war; insulting or abusing the U.S. government, the flag, the Constitution or the military; agitating against the production of necessary war materials; or advocating, teaching or defending any of these acts."
The more astute among you are scratching your head incredulously, and are assuming I am making this up. A law making it illegal to insult the government???? What the hell did stand up comedians, political cartoonists, and uncle Bob do for god's sake? These were dark times indeed.
This was not the first , or dare I say the last, in MONUMENTAL BONEHEAD moves our beloved congress has made throughout history. To name a few, Prohibition, The USA PATRIOT Act, and Declaring a National M.C. Hammer day! Although admittedly I may have hallucinated that last one while on a week long bender in the early 90's. (Damn, I miss my parachute pants)
Fortunately it only took congress 3 years to repeal The Sedition Act; meanwhile, alcohol spent 14 years hiding its glorious 2-carboned head in shame. Vindication for booze wouldn't come until 1933! Oh, the humanity!
My favorite Frank Sinatra quote: "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. They wake up in the morning and that's the best they're gonna feel all day." Amen Francis Albert, amen.
No longer an intern (The Salt Lake Tribune, 7/6/13)
10 years ago
6 Comments:
What - are you taking U.S. history classes down there now too?
I am a friggin' renaissance man! hehehe
If congress wants to pass an anti-Hammer defamation act, I'm all for that. A superdope homeboy from the Oaktown.
I'm suprised that you remembered that there are 2 carbon molecules in alcohol. The Scotch and Jack go down real smooth, EH....
Well now, that is just the response that I would expect from the left wing towers of academe; grounded solidly in the theoretical without any concern for the practical. When the body is locked in a life or death struggle against a raging septicemia the last thing it needs is some auto-immune issue to further complicate the problem. The constitution is an algorithm, not a suicide pact. Exceptional circumstances require exceptional measures. A 'World War' is clearly an exceptional circumstance. The key is to strike the correct balance. The country today is a product of all the political decisions / experiences compiled to date. At this point in our history we are much closer to the egalitarian ideal than we have ever been, ergo the majority of our political decisions have been correct.
Q.E.D.
LD
My good brother, you most certainly failed to demonstratum.
If I may, I agree that exceptional times require exceptional measures. This by no means gives our government carte blanch to wipe their collective asses with the constitution. I agree it is an algorithm and not absolute dogma. I do believe it defines who we are and what principles we want for ourselves i.e. liberty and freedom from oppression etc. When we quickly abandon those ideals we cease to be the entity we are trying to defend- then what is the point? What is there to protect?
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